The creators of a randomiser mod have collaborated with the biggest fighting game channel on YouTube, , to bring players the fabled Akuma Mode for the original Resident Evil 2, fulfilling a 26-year-old gag. 

It all started off as a simple April Fool's joke back in 1998, when the gaming magazine EGM2 tricked readers into believing that [[link]] it was possible to unlock the Street Fighter character Akuma in Resident Evil 2 as long as you completed the game as both Leon and Claire with nothing but a handgun and a knife and achieved an A rank in every single scenario (via ). 

Unfortunately, this simple task did not reap the proposed benefits, and it left many Resident Evil 2 players confused and upset about the lack of Akuma. But it did cement this cruel joke into urban legend status, left to a life as an unattainable myth. Or it was.

Snipzu, , and , the modders behind BioRand, the Resident Evil randomiser, announced on Twitter that this is no longer the case: "After 26 years, the rumors finally came true. In collaboration with @maximilian_, we're delighted to present to you the AKUMA MODE!" 

They also showed off a short video of Akuma fighting zombies in the original Resident Evil 2, you can see him using Shoryukens and Gohadokens against crows, lickers, giant alligators, and more. 

You can check Akuma Mode out for yourself on its , but it only works for Resident Evil 2 Sourcenext PC version with Classic REbirth (patches for PC ports), so make sure you have the latest version installed. 

The team has also been working on fixes for small issues, like running the exe in admin mode, or the game crashing when players are in Kendos Gunshop. Otherwise, it all seems to be going smoothly, with the modders [[link]] even announcing that they are working on updates for the mode: "Akuma Mode is, for now, not randomized," BioRand modders say in . "But we're planning on doing that as soon as possible, as well as adding him as a full-fledged character in BioRand itself whenever we can."

As if solving the 26-year-old joke wasn't enough, this mod also lets you see an alternate ending, providing you manage to find and defeat all the guest stars who have been turned into zombies. While this mod hasn't been translated to the remake just yet, you can prepare to appreciate Akuma from all angles with this fantastic mod that to the Resident Evil 2 remake.